PROVIDENCE – Gov. Gina M. Raimondo accepted a $10,000 check Nov. 8 from Rhode Island Medical Imaging providing financial assistance for access to breast cancer screening and follow-up services for low-income women in Rhode Island.
“I want to thank Rhode Island Medical Imaging for their generous donation, and for their decadeslong commitment to the health of Rhode Islanders,” said Raimondo. “Financial barriers should never stand between a woman and potentially life-saving cancer care. Rhode Island Medical Imaging’s work to ensure that this is not the case, and their selfless commitment to the well-being of all Rhode Islanders, exemplifies the best of Rhode Island.”
After women receive breast cancer screenings, the R.I. Department of Health’s Women’s Cancer Screening Program offers financial assistance for follow-up services to insured women whose incomes are not more than four times the federal poverty level. But many women who don’t meet the standard still struggle to afford follow-up services because of high copays, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. The donation will allow the Women’s Cancer Screening Program to help these women who are just above the cutoff.
“We at Rhode Island Medical Imaging are proud to once again support the Women’s Cancer Screening Program,” said Dr. John Pezzullo, president of Rhode Island Medical Imaging. “As the largest provider of women’s imaging services in the state, we see firsthand how devastating a breast cancer diagnosis can be for patients and their families. At RIMI, we offer cutting-edge technology complimented by a team of radiologists that are at the top of their field. We believe we must do our part to ensure that the underserved population of women in need receive that same level of quality care.”
“Thanks to the success of the Affordable Care Act in Rhode Island, many more women have health insurance to cover breast cancer services. But many women struggle to get recommended follow-up services after an abnormal finding because of financial barriers,” said Director of Health Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott. “I want to thank Rhode Island Medical Imaging for their donation, and for expanding access to quality health services and care for Rhode Islanders in every zip code throughout the state.”
Rob Borkowski is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Borkowski@PBN.com.
